Things I have learned from #AskAgent

My favorite thing to do is to troll through the #askagent hash tag. Even if I don’t have a question to ask, I love to see what others are asking and the responses. It is very helpful to any writer and I learn something new on a weekly basis.

Below are some things I feel may be beneficial to others:

1. Patience is key

Agent Juliet Mushens discussed how the time from query to response can sometimes be a lengthy one. I also have many friends who have sent out queries and expect rapid fire response. Folks sometimes it can take up to 3 months. Be patient! Check out Den Patrick’s interview with Juiliet Mushens here: http://www.denpatrick.com/2013/03/juliet-mushens-do-and-donts.html?m=1

Read your story out loud. Unrealistic dialogue kills a story and a lot of time this can be caught if you just read your story out loud or have someone read to you.

4. Stop worrying about platform

I have seen SEVERAL agents say this on #askagent. Write your book. It doesn’t matter if you have 1000 twitter followers, the best blog ever, and 1500 Facebook friends – if your book is crap, you are not getting an agent. Worry about establishing your platform after you tighten up that novel. (Now of course this advice is different for non-fiction)